Life within Lightning
by Huntersblessing1990
Summary: Niamh has always been independent protecting herself from those who have long hunted her, however after mission assigned by the council goes wrong Niamh must seek out the help of her only living relative. Now she is presented with a choice join a guild where she would be relatively well protected or continue to go it alone and forever be hunted. Disclaimer; I do not own Fairy Tail!
1. Chapter 1

Note: I do not own Fairy Tail, I only own the plot and my character Niamh!

* * *

**Prologue**

Today is seriously not my day. It has started off well enough I was out on a job for the Council, it seemed a pretty straight forward job work out the medium for a disease outbreak that had decimated half the citizens in a remote village in the foothills of Mount Hokabe. Unfortunately things are never that simple I had quickly found the cause, and had managed to treat the survivors with an antidote, however the disease had been the strain of a genetically altered virus that was believed to have been wiped out several years ago and according to the records had never previously been reported in the area instantly raising alarm bells.

These facts had left me dumbfounded, and due to the fact that the virus had contaminated their entire water supply I had no choice but to ask the mayor to order an evacuation to prevent further infection. It was then that things truly turned for the worse. A group of mages appeared from out of the forest initially I had believed that they were back up sent by the council in case things turned pear shaped, unfortunately this couldn't have been further from the truth. They were from a dark guild, known simply as Venom!

Slowly everything began to come together my hunch had been correct the strain had indeed been manufactured it would have been simple for this particular guild to achieve such a feat, as its members were known for their use of poison and toxin type magic and manipulation. At this point evacuations were well underway and the majority the surviving villagers had left the village leaving myself and a few stragglers behind. Immediately I began ushering the remaining civilians out of the area, nevertheless I knew they would never escape completely unscathed unless given time to effectively get away as Venom's reputation not only painted them as toxin users but also as being incredibly ruthless when on jobs. Therefore I had only one choice, to remain behind as a distraction until I could be certain that the villagers were well out of harm's way, give them an hour to get a few miles between the village and themselves before I abandoned my post.

I knew there was no way I could win, firstly because I was decidedly outnumbered 7 to 1 are never great odds to begin with but when you're exhausted from treating numerous patients it puts you at even more of a disadvantage, secondly I had no clue as to how strong this group of mages were nor any idea as to what type of magic they may use other than the fact that they would most likely rely on magic associated with toxins and corrosives. Finally my magic is typically not offensive; after all I was a life mage a healer dedicated to preserving life rather than destroying it putting me in an incredibly difficult and dangerous position, one I may very well not walk away from. Thankfully I had other skills that I could fall back on, I am a capable martial artist and due to my extensive knowledge of human anatomy and physiology consequence of my occupation as a life mage and healer I knew exactly where to strike an opponent without causing irreparable damage. In addition I am an accomplished archer permitting me to attack from a distance to limit the damage to my person. However I was still very much a disadvantage even with these additional skills under my belt and would therefore need to proceed with caution.

I could only watch as they approached from my perch upon the roof on one of the houses chatting and shoving each other in jest acting like a group of prepubescent children out for a stroll, rather than coming to check on the progress of the deadly virus. It was clear to me that they had not yet realised that the village had recently been abandoned with only me as its current occupant; discreetly I lined up my longbow having already formed a strategy to address my current predicament. Releasing my first arrow I watched as it connected with the ground at the feet of two of the younger members of the group before it exploded. Releasing a vapour of sleeping powder instantly removing the pair from the oncoming fight, knowing they would be fine waking up an estimated 12 hours later with nothing more than a headache I moved my attention to the others.

The response from the remaining five was instantaneous they immediately began searching for the culprit shouting a range of abuse and crude comments in hopes of luring me out. It was tactic that have been used by opponents I had faced on numerous occasions against, however it has never been used with success and I wasn't about to start falling for such petty insults. Gradually the group made their way to the centre of town, with me following above moving from rooftop to rooftop to stay out of their direct line of sight. As they came to a halt I readied another arrow this one containing a powder to cause waking nightmares creating the victims darkest fears before they passed out. This time I aimed for one of the older members of the group, it struck true and the result was instantaneous, leaving me to only watch as the man's nightmares began to unfold before his very eyes startling the rest of his group as he began shouting and pulling its hair in fear and despair. Personally I felt he deserved worse nearly a hundred people had died because of this particular guild actions and I felt no sympathy for his plight. Fortunately for him it was not my position to act as judge, jury and executioner no matter how much I want to, therefore I had no choice but to leave him to the mercies of the council when they decided to pull their finger out.

So focused I was on my thoughts that I failed to realise that my location had not gone unnoticed as it previously had, before I knew it the building on which I was perched began to corrode, dissolving molecule by molecule forcing me to leap to the ground where was more vulnerable clearly one of my opponents was a devastation mage. After that everything became a blur I was most definitely fighting for my life and I was thankful that this group appeared to be raw, untrained with seemingly no previous experience in the field, potentially a scouting group under orders to observe the virus's progress. As the battle continued I was faintly aware of taking out another two my opponents, in spite of this I knew I was severely injured and either needed to flee or end this battle as quickly as possible.

It quickly became clear that the latter option was not possible due to my failing strength and increasing pain across my lower back, therefore leaving me with only one option. With a sudden burst of strength I was able to send both opponents to the ground giving me enough time to gain a head start and flee from the village, heading for Magnolia the only place left where any of my surviving relatives dwelled. As I fled the scene I was faintly aware of the last two men attempting to pursue me but I was fast and easily lost them within the confines of the East Forest a shortcut to my destination.

As I continued to run I could feel my body flagging under the stress the adrenaline that for so long had kept me going was beginning to fail me, leaving behind a sense of excruciating pain that my exhausted form was desperately trying to treat, and begging me for it to stop. Nonetheless I couldn't, not yet, not until I read the relative safety of Magnolia and my uncle. With this in mind I consciously forced my body to continue to produce the adrenaline and rapid production of red blood cells that in my mind were essential to the success of my escape and survival, knowing full well that it would most likely wrack devastation upon my body for at least the next week.

Upon reaching the borders of Magnolia I could feel myself substantially slowing down, I didn't know how long I been running or how far I'd actually come but knew I couldn't quit just yet I still had to reach my uncle's house. With this in mind I gave my body one last push hoping it would be enough to make it, to find the security needed at this moment. Just a as my body began to fail for the final time I saw the back of a familiar head. From this angle he looked older than I remembered but I didn't have time to ponder the mystery that was time at the moment, I had to get to him had to reach my uncle it was all that mattered at the moment, it was what I was depending on! I couldn't stop as I stumbled forward my hand reaching out to catch the sleeve of my uncles white jacket knowing it would most likely be stained red as my blood smeared made down the sleeve, and as I thought when my hand made contact with the fabric red stains were left behind it was the only thing I saw before my eyes rolled into the back of my head and I felt myself plummeting towards the ground the sound of shouting ringing in my ears, a faint recognition that someone caught me before I face planted the cobbled street and then everything went black!

* * *

Thank you for reading please review, constructive criticism is more than welcome thankyou


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Again I do not own fairy tail I only own the character Niamh and the plot itself

* * *

**Chapter 1**

The Guild was loud rambunctious as was typical of Fairy Tail, having just returned from mission that morning I was more than ready to sit down and have a good drink possibly challenging Cana to a drinking contest if I so desired. My mission hadn't been particularly difficult just irritating, as the client (some brat with a silver spoon in his mouth) had requested and S-class mage to escort him and his new wife to the port town of Hargeon from where they were due to sail for their honeymoon. It had been boringly easy, although the constant nagging in my ear from the client and his wife regarding pointless crap combined with the foul scent of the bride; a combination of what distinctly smelt like sewage mixed with the floral scent of her perfume almost had me frying the pair due to my increasing irritation.

However the mission hadn't been a total loss during the journey from Crocus to the port town, as it resulted in me working my way through their entire female staff. Each of them were attractive, unfortunately none of them really been up to par each of them acting more as a release from my frustration and an escape from paranoid clients than anything else. However my good mood from the nightly screws didn't last particularly long especially when 'the mistress of the house' heard about my nightly escapades, initially I had believed that the sly, derogatory comments were a consequence of her believing she was better than some 'lowly' mage, but that opinion quickly changed, I have been in the screw them and lose them game to realise that this was her way of showing attraction.

An attraction that was further expressed by the look of lust in her eyes and the change in her scent when I was near, which I didn't think was possible but actually smelt worse than her usual scent. As the week past she thankfully kept her hands to herself although her intentions and wants were evident or at least they were to me, once we reached Hargeon I have believed I was in the clear and would not have to endure any further advances. Unfortunately my wish to avoid an encounter with the wife was not to be as the night before they were due to sail she finally made her move. I had been quite happily sat at the bar nursing a shot of whisky chatting away to some of the locals when she appeared, clad in only in a skimpy nightgown that left nothing to the imagination and really did nothing for her figure although judging by the looks of some of the patrons not everyone shared my opinion.

Almost instantly the owner was in front of us asking her politely to remove herself from the bar and return to her room, only to be ignored as she appeared more interested in rubbing herself against me like a bitch in heat. Not once in all my years had I felt as dirty as I had in that moment, it was a surprising thought but her scent combined with her touch left me feeling decidedly nauseous. With an aggravated growl I quickly left my seat and to prevent further embarrassment threw her over my shoulder none to gently not caring if it hurt her or giving a damn whether she had just flashed the entire bar. Unfortunately she failed to see the action for what it was, and I was appalled when I was hit with an extra strong dose of her scent indicating that she was aroused, and it took every ounce of myself control not to throw her across the room in revulsion, I may be a pervert but even I had standards!

With a glance and nod at the owner, an old friend of my gramps I turned on my heel and began marching my way towards the stairs intent on returning the harlot to her husband. Just as I reached the first step to ascend to the next level and relieve myself of what had quickly become one of the biggest pains in my arse, which was surprising as Natsu irritated me on a regular basis when we are both at the guild, a callused hand touched my left arm. Glancing over my shoulder I noted the owner standing just within arms reach a look of anger of his face which was further translated in his scent to put it bluntly she was pissed. With a nod she took the lead and I suddenly twigged what she was planning. She knew that this women's attention was unwanted and her blatant disregard for personal boundaries as well as her lack of respect had seriously irked the older women who prided herself on running a safe and respectable business, which the bride's activities may have just jeopardise meaning that the shit was going to hit the proverbial fan, and I could not wait to watch the fireworks.

Smirking I could only nod for her to take the lead, I always enjoyed watching the upper class being taken down a peg or two by those they believed beneath them, but this particular encounter was one that felt was a long time coming! As we arrived at our destination room 166, the penny appeared to finally drop from the women (and I use that term loosely) currently slung over my shoulder however her struggles were pointless grip on her was too tight and the more she did struggle the tighter my grip became. Without even knocking the elderly women entered the room, opening the door with enough force to cause a resounding bang. Immediately my client leapt from his position on the bed, although he never managed to get a word in as the elderly owner instantly began laying into him and whenever dear wifey tried to intervene she was silenced with snappish retort which the younger women received with a pout on her face, clearly she was unused to being interrupted and used to getting her own way.

By the end of their tongue lashing my client had doubled my pay and offered a substantially large sum of money in compensation to prevent his embarrassment over his wife's actions reaching the wrong ears. However there the bar had been full during the harlots display and it was likely that at least one person wold recognise but that wasn't our problem it was his. Once that was all said and done I had returned to my room to discover it was after midnight, but I hadn't cared at that moment all I wanted was a hot shower to get the stink of that women off my skin or else I would never get to sleep.

With a jolt I was pulled from my musing only to see Mira stood before with a small smile on her face, "What is it Mira?" my voice gruff with amusement from memory of last night.

"I asked if you were alright" the oldest of the takeover siblings informed as she placed another shot of whisky before me, "I'm fine why wouldn't I be?" came my confused response an emotion I knew would result in a frown. "Well Sango-san contacted the Master about what happened in Crocus last night" Mira explained as she placed Cana third barrel of alcohol on the counter upon request from the card mage. "Ahh, you heard about that huh" I stated not surprised that the owner of the inn had contacted gramps regarding the situation, "Yes apparently Sango-san was quite impressed with your restraint. She admitted that initially she had been worried you would –'' but Mira never got a chance to finish her sentence as at that moment a chair came flying through the air barely missing my head and collided against the back wall of the bar, resulting in the shelves on which the tankards and other items were stacked to break sending them crashing to the ground.

You could cut the following silence with a knife it was that tense as everyone waited baited breath to see what Mira would do. Glancing over my shoulder I couldn't help but smirk as I watched Natsu and Gray cower in fear as Mira was taken over by Satan Soul. However before Mira could exact her revenge upon the two cowering mages the doors of the guild doors slammed open, causing a number of members to blink in surprise but everyone quickly sobered upon observing the scene before them in the doorway stood Wakaba and Romeo with looks of fear and concern of the faces with Romeo looking decidedly green though he was doing a reasonable job of hiding it. Yet what really drew everyone's attention was Macao, he bore a similar look to Wakaba although unlike his long-time friend his face was covered in a mixture of tears and blood, and it was no wonder as to why, as in his arms lay the unconscious form of a limp and bloody young women!

Almost immediately people began to rush about, Mira her anger temporarily forgotten moved to the four at the door followed by Wendy the Sky Dragon Slayer and resident healer of Fairy Tail, as the pair began trying to usher Macao towards the infirmary it became clear that the shock had finally set in as the man appeared unable to move another step. Moving towards the group I faintly registered Erza 'Titania' Scarlet, her cake forgotten bounding up the stairs to fetch the Master and Mavis, Lucy Heartfilia the guilds celestial spirit mage moving forward to comfort an increasingly distraught Romeo, and Jet the resident speedster shooting out the door possibly to fetch Porlyusica.

As I drew closer the scent of burnt flesh became prevalent combined with the familiar smell of blood, I was but a few feet away I noticed that Macao's strength was beginning to wane and just as this thought crossed my mind, his knees buckled. Shooting forward with my lightening I just managed to catch the fragile female before she went tumbling out Macao's arms to the cold hardwood floor, as Wakaba and Natsu stepped forward to support their flagging nakama. However I barely registered their movement as I was overcome with shock the young woman I currently had cradled in my arms was none other than Macao's niece and only living blood relative other than his son, Niamh Turner. Looking to my left I noted a similar look of recognition on Mira delicate face as I felt, but the takeover mage also bore an expression of immense concern and unsurprisingly tears were running in rivulets down her cheeks as she finally began to see the true extent of the damage.

Niamh was barely recognisable, her clothes were torn and blood and it looked as though someone had attempted to melt parts of her face off. But that was only a glimpse of her injuries, the fingers of her left hand were pointing at odd angles evidence they had been purposefully broken the same for her wrist, additionally there was extensive bruising across her abdomen suggesting the strong chance that there was some internal bleeding, her arms and legs were covered in cuts some much deeper than others and smelled suspiciously of some form of poison and clearly the source of the blood that had soaked Macao's once pristine white trench coat.

With a sense of urgency I turned on my headed for the infirmary knowing Mira and Wendy would be close behind, upon entering the room that was my destination I made a beeline for the bed furthest from the door knowing that the young women in my arms enjoyed her privacy and wouldn't want anyone just walking by the door to see her in such a state. Upon placing her upon the bed I retreated to the end of the bed staying out of the women's way as they went about assessing the extent of her injuries. Gramps and Mavis appeared moments after they started with the latter releasing a gasp in I could assume horror upon seeing the patient for the first time before leaving the room clearly distraught by what she had witnessed.

Gramps and I could only stand watch as Wendy murmured words to Mira whom was frantically scribbling down everything the child said, I had no idea what Wendy could be telling her but I could only assume it was a list of her injuries which could potentially save time when Porlyusica arrived. As I continued to observe I noted that Wendy while speaking quietly to Mira was also trying to treat the worst of her injuries to the best of her abilities, however she appeared to be at a loss of where to start and with a sigh the young mage turned to Mira with one last comment before turning back to her patient. At this Mira quickly turned too us her expression grave before ushering us away the bed clearly wishing to speak with us "Her injuries are very severe, and unfortunately until Porlyusica arrives there is not much Wendy can there appears to be a substantial amount of poison in Niamh system that Wendy is unfamiliar with and until that is removed there isn't much that can be done" Mira explained her expression grave, occasionally glancing back to the bed were Wendy had begun making a poultice of some sort. "What are her prospects, child?" gramps queried his own expression grave "It's too early to say. Her own healing abilities should hopefully kick in soon but her spleen and aorta have both been damaged so blood flow could be impeded preventing the necessary antibodies from reaching her target organs" Mira replied clearly uncertain concerning what was going on. "Mira-san I could use your help undressing her so I can treat the rest of the burn" came the quiet voice of the Sky Dragon Slayer from her place next to the occupied bed, but it wasn't the takeover mage that responded "Of course Wendy we will leave the both of you to carry on, just shout if you need anything" gramps informed them both gently as he turned and left, however I hesitated but the gentle hand on my arm and nod from Mira was all the encouragement I needed and with that I turned on my heel and left.

Nevertheless I didn't stray very far, I remained by the door keeping an ear out in case either girl needed anything, I had only been at my vigil for a few minutes when Porlyusica appeared bustling passed without a word which wasn't all that surprising considering her lack of tolerance for so called 'filthy' humans. From my visual I could clearly make out the rest of the guild, gramps was as usual sat on the counter of the bar drinking a beer though his expression indicated that he was deep in thought everyone else appeared to share his feelings as a solemn air hung with the main hall even Natsu was quiet having got a close-up of Niamh condition.

Those who knew Niamh from when she regularly visited Macao when she was still a child, such as Cana, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, Mira's brother Elfman and Lisanna were probably the most sombre of the lot as they had all grown up with the young woman. Each of them had seen her as an older or younger sister due to the care and support she had offered despite her own hardships. I myself despite her being younger hand always respected her, despite her lack of offensive power she had risen above it and had sought out those with experience in hand to hand combat including myself to develop both offensive and defensive so she would never be some 'damsel in distress' as she put it. Yet even with all her skills people had still seen her weak which had resulted in her becoming pissed off to a point that would rival Erza or Mira when angry. But Macao was definitely the worse of since her parents death, Macao had taken her in raised to be the young woman she was now, strong independent and protective of her friends, family and her beliefs, and now seeing her in such a state clearing was having a negative impact, if the half empty bottle of rum was anything to go by.

As I continued to stand there reminiscing about the old day's hours flew by, and before I knew it Porlyusica had exited the infirmary and was now addressing the guild. "Niamh will most likely make a full recovery, her natural healing abilities kicked in as soon as the toxin affecting her nervous system was purged. However the extent of the injuries concerns me, the burns on her face neck and chest were not caused by fire but some form of corrosive spell which has damaged her left lung and ascending aorta which may result in respiratory complication and possible brain damage, therefore I advise around the clock watch to ensure she does not experience cardiac arrest. Furthermore there wasn't only one poison within her blood stream but three suggesting that she came across someone with experience with a range of poisons and had it been anyone else she would have died within an hour fortunately her stubborn nature and her brand of magic prevented such from happening" the women stated in her usual droll tone although with my advanced senses I was able to detect a hint of concern.

"All other injuries were much simpler to treat, although she will need to be confined to bed rest for at two weeks after she wakes to ensure there are no lasting reprecussions. In which case I shall be going the smell of you filthy humans is really beginning to aggravate me, be sure to set up a schedule to monitor her and as much as it pains me to say it I shall return tomorrow to check on her progress" the pink haired healer demanded before taking her leave without so much as a good bye, as relieved chatter filled the before I slipped back into the infirmary intent of taking the first shift for monitoring duty.

* * *

So there you have it chapter 1 now you know who the uncle is and you have probably gathered which fairy tail character's pov this chapter is written from.

So please review I would be very grateful for feedback

Thank You

Huntersblessing1990


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Once again I do not own fairy tail, I only own Niamh and the plot.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

It had been four days since Macao had arrived at the guild with a bloody and beaten Niamh, and thankfully despite having yet to wake up Niamh was doing and looking much better and no longer required a constant vigil by her bedside as she was now through the worst of her ordeal. Another positive was Macao had, after apparently waking up the next day with a terrible hangover, which really wasn't all that surprising considering he drank an entire bottle of rum straight, managed to pull himself together for the sake of his son and niece. Initially after the second day with still no sign of Niamh waking up Macao had voiced his concern to Porlyusica, who surprisingly had demonstrated an astounding degree of patience while explaining that Niamh had subconsciously induced a healing trance to allow her body to fully recuperate and as of yet it was difficult to determine when she would wake.

However many had to admit that it shouldn't really have been that big of a shock to them as it was no secret that Porlyusica had a soft spot for her current patient. What did amaze the guild were the ageing healer's daily visits to check on the rapidly improving young women, as even when Niamh had been a child living with Macao Porlyusica had not been nearly as willing to visit and nurse the girl's natural healing talents. Also when questioned by gramps regarding her visible concern for her welfare, Porlyusica had merely grumbled and glared at the man not bothering to dignify him with a proper response until he had retreated.

Furthermore once Macao had been in the right frame of mind the day after her arrival he had explained that Niamh had been on a mission in the foothills of Mount Hakabe, on a job assigned by the council. Gramps had immediately got to work, contacting the council and digging through his extensive list of contacts in the hopes of learning what could have happened to the strong and independent young women they knew. It hadn't taken long to get an outline of what had gone down, the council had been the first to offer answers. They informed gramps that Niamh had been requested to visit a remote village in the foothills of Mount Hakabe, as Macao had informed them. The village was home to just a few hundred people, which within a week had been struck by a mysterious illness with many of them having suddenly being taken ill resulting in the consequent mission assignment. According to the council Niamh had gladly accepted the job before leaving her apartment in Crocus that same day, seemingly understanding the urgency behind the job request. Gramps had then assembled Team Natsu to meet up with the company of rune knights dispatched by the council to investigate the village and learn whether Niamh had reached her destination, and if so what had happened to the villagers. Gramps had then assembled a second team consisting of the Strauss siblings, Levy and Gajeel to head to Crocus to gather all of her things from her apartment concerned that if someone had specifically targeted the female mage (after all it wouldn't be the first time). If this was the case then they most likely would know where she lived and assuming that they believed her to still be alive, they could be lying in wait to ambush her when she returned a risk that no one in the guild was willing to take.

Then a breakthrough had occurred, yesterday Master Bob of Blue Pegasus a mere day after gramps had informed him of the situation had received a message from the Trimens, whom had been on a mission in Shirotsume town. They reported that around a hundred villagers from the very village that Niamh had been assigned too started appearing on the outskirts of town in dribs and drabs looking worse for the wear but unharmed. Thankfully the people of Shirotsume town had been more than accommodating and had quickly set about arranging food and beds for the refugees.

The Trimens had quickly managed to track down the mayor of the village, who had explained that a mage matching Niamh description had arrived in town quickly isolating the problem and administered the necessary treatment to the surviving victims. She had then gone about taking samples of the village water supply and an array of soil samples. By doing so Niamh had come to the realisation that the water was the source of the infection that had been plaguing the village for the last ten days and killed nearly 150 people. The mayor had then gone on to explain that Niamh had requested for an immediate evacuation, which he readily agreed to in order to preserve the lives of those that remained behind.

The mayor had also described how as leader of the village he had stayed behind until the majority of the survivors had left a few hours later, it was then that she had approached them explaining that they needed to leave now, that she would stay behind to buy them time to get clear of the area to prevent them from being pursued. It was then the man had admitted that he had not understood her words nor her explanation as it had not occurred to him that maybe their water supply had been purposefully poisoned until hours later, at which point he knew it was too risky to turn back to find out what was going on as his priority had to be to get the survivors to safety. Master Bob had then explained to gramps that he had deployed the Trimens to check the route the mayor had informed them the refugees had used to reach the town, to ensure no one had gotten lost or fallen behind before meeting up with Team Natsu and the contingency of rune knights assigned by the council.

Then that very morning more news had reached their ears, first was Master Bob informing them that two members of the Trimens, Hibiki and Eve, had reached the outskirts of the village and were currently waiting for the other two teams to arrive before entering the village. Meanwhile the remaining two members of the Trimens Ren and Ichiya had returned to Shirotsume, escorting a group of five children that had been separated from the main group. Less than an hour later Erza had contacted gramps via her own communications lacrima announcing that upon initial inspection they had found five enemy mages in various states. Two were found unconscious seemingly in a deep sleep nearly three hundred metres outside the village perimeter suggesting that Niamh had hit them with some form of sleeper agent at range; it wasn't that farfetched as I and many others in the guild know she is an accomplished archer and more than capable of striking a target from such a distance.

The third Lucy had found mumbling incoherently in one of the many abandoned homes, at first it had been believed that the man had been left behind by accident during the evacuation. However the arrow sticking out of his arm combined with the guild mark upon the left side of his neck identified him as a member of the Dark Guild Venom. The final two had been found outside the village hall, one was conscious though unable to speak due to the bruising surrounding his throat suggesting he had been struck harshly in the trachea a move that screamed of Niamh, as well as sporting a broken leg a clear attempt to prevent him from running. The final mage found at the scene was a woman and was currently paralysed although everything appeared to perfect working order, the medic amongst the rune knights speculated that Niamh had somehow managed to rewrite aspects of her opponent's nervous system knocking her out and preventing her from running until the authorities turned up to deal with them.

Unfortunately Natsu reported that none of the captured mages smelled of acid or any other corrosive substance that would have identified the corrosion mage that had burned Niamh so badly, and destroyed several homes during their fight. It left a bad taste in my mouth knowing that at least one of the members of Venom that had attacked Niamh and possibly tried to kill nearly 250 people for reasons currently beyond anyone's comprehension, and likely spray painted the Venom guild mark onto the front of the town hall. It left me angry to the point where I wanted to hunt down the person responsible and beat them within an inch of their life, but I couldn't leave the guild not when there was a chance that although slim that Venom may track her here to finish what they started. That was why I was currently sat in the infirmary a stack of paperwork in my lap completely untouched, call me paranoid or whatever else you want but I wasn't the only one being overly cautious Macao, Wakaba, Romeo, Cana hell even Wendy and Carla were constantly in and out, although one could argue that the young Sky Dragon Slayer and Carla as a healer and Exceed partner were essential to the young woman's care. However on a number of occasions when Wendy entered she had looked as though she wished to ask a question only for her shyness to overcome her and prevent her speaking out no matter who it was.

Speak of the devil. In came Wendy predictably followed by Carla, although today the young slayers expression was not one of curiosity but of dejection an emotion that really didn't really suit her. I looked on as she went about checking Niamh's vitals and bandages covering her legs and arms the bluenette barely registering my presence as she performed her task almost robotically, glancing at Carla I noted the concern on the white exceeds face clearly uncertain as how to approach her young charge.

With a sigh I decided to try and help the small girl out, I knew I would need to tread carefully but I wasn't one to beat around the bush so I would have to see how everything went. "Alright kid why don't you sit down and tell me what's wrong?" I quipped watching in slight amusement as youngest slayer jumped startled, whether by the sudden realisation of my presence or the sound of my voice I wasn't sure. "Laxus-san … nothing's wrong why would you ask that?" she sniffled her bottom lip wobbling while she attempted to smile, although I had a sneaking suspicion that she about to cry, "Don't try and pull that with me, now tell me what's wrong? I promise not to tell anyone if you don't want me too" I assured her, watching as the small girl mulled over my words moments passed and I began to wonder if this had really been such a good idea.

Thankfully just as I was about to admit defeat a quiet voice piped up from the opposite side of the bed, "I-It's Porlyusica-san, I asked if she would help me further my healing abilities and teach me more about medicinal herbs and other ingredients, but instead she replied that she wasn't Grandeeny and would never take on a filthy human child as an apprentice" Wendy cried tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. With a sigh I rose from my seat and came to kneel before girl and without putting too much thought into it pulled her into my arms for a hug, receiving a squeak of surprise from the small girl. Though I still enjoyed my personal space even after my attitude adjustment and despite the fact I was only an artificial dragon slayer I still had the instincts of one, and like Natsu and Gajeel my instincts kept telling me to protect and comfort the youngest slayer and that is what I would do. Pulling away once I felt Wendy had calmed down enough to hear what I had to say, "Listen forget the hag, I know someone else who would be more than happy to take you on as an apprentice" I assured her watching as she immediately perked up.

"Really, who?" the sky dragon slayer queried a look of excitement replacing her previous sadness, "Niamh" I answered with a nod toward the bed to emphasize my statement.

"Oh, and how would she be able to assist Wendy in developing her healing abilities please do share Laxus" came the snide voice of the white exceed.

"You know for a cat, you got pretty big bearings" I snarled "but in answer to your question Niamh is a life mage" I explained, my expression turning smug at the look of shock on the felines face. "Grandeeny explained to me about life mages, she said unlike others they were born with their branch of magic and not only that their very blood is infused with magic, which explains her rapid recovery. Also from what Grandeeny told me life mages are the most exceptional of healers, but they're incredibly rare even more so than dragon or god slayer ... but aren't they generally male?" Wendy mused out loud her excitement palpable though the last comment was made with a frown. "Correct, on all counts although most life mages are typically male Niamh appears to be an exception though no one really knows why" I explained surprised by the extent of her knowledge.

"You really think she would be willing to teach me?" Wendy asked her tone lacing with slight worry at the prospect that Niamh wouldn't want to teach her "Sure as kids she use to argue that the world needed more experience medics. Heck she even went so far as to try to teach Natsu some basic first aid skills though that only lasted a couple of weeks before had to admit defeat saying, and I quote 'that boy has the attention span of a gnat when it comes to anything other than brawling' it was hilarious to watch considering she is, was a few years younger than him" I explained stumbling slightly due to the realisation that the majority of those that were once older than the life mage were in fact now younger than her. In fact I was pretty sure she would was about twenty-two years old now, "You all seem very fond of her" Carla uttered, interrupting my musings.

"Well I can't speak for everyone that was here when Niamh was a kid, but despite our age difference she was my voice of reason she kept me grounded after gramps exiled my dad stopped me from doing something stupid. Not only that but for a while I was her teacher" I replied with a chuckle remembering the number of times she had kicked me harshly in the shin whenever I was rude or mean to someone in her presence. "So what changed?" Carla pursued an attempt to gauge how much she should trust the life mage "As her powers developed people started to target her and as such the guild, so just before Lucy joined, Niamh left claiming that it was her fault everyone was at risk and it was best for all involved that she simply disappeared. Turns out we had trained her to well cause she fell completely off the radar and no matter how hard I or anyone else looked we couldn't find her though occasionally we heard titbits of news from here and there saying she was okay, which was all we could hope for really" I replied shrugging my broad shoulders.

"She sounds incredible, but I'm still worried she won't want to train me" Wendy murmured "Listen Niamh would never turn down someone who wants to better themselves, so quit your worrying, but word of advice brush up on your human biology it'll be the first thing she'll want to run through with you" I advised with grin.

"I'm still not comfortable with this, if there are still people after her then what's going to stop them from attacking Wendy as well" Carla announced her paws folded over her chest. "Personally I think you're making a big deal out of nothing" I observed scowling "but if you're that worried about Wendy then you should go and talk to Romeo and Macao I'm sure they can put your mind at rest" I ordered making a shooing motion with my right hand wishing to be rid of the snide exceed. Thankfully with a huff she left leaving Wendy and I in relative peace and quiet taking the opportunity to once again take my seat realising I was still kneeling on the floor in front of Wendy. "Laxus-san" Wendy mumbled the fidgeting returning along with her shyness, "Yea" I grumbled upon spying the pile of paperwork, glaring at it in the hopes that it would burst into flames only to be temporarily distracted by a thank you, that sounded as though it would have been more fitting coming from a mouse than a dragon slayer before I watched her hurry away with a chuckle.

* * *

Okay guys there is chapter two, if you could give me some reviews that would great I know Laxus OCC atm but I felt it was necessary to set the scene for later. Okay Next time Niamh wakes, the two teams return and news of another village being hit reaches the guild so stay tuned.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys here is the next chapter as usual I will state now that I do not own fairy tail, I only own the character Niamh and the plot.

Also as much as I appreciate so many people showing an interest in this story, I am disappointed by the lack of reviews. As such I will not be updating until I have 5 reviews until then this story shall be on hiatus so if you want to carry on reading make sure to review.

So for the moment enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Waking from a healing trance is always difficult, it could be easily mistaken for coma and in extreme cases death, but the one major difference was that healing trances could be dispelled at any time. However there are a number risks associated with the technique, the most prominent was the depth of the trance. Basically the deeper the trance, the less likely one was to wake up, not because they succumbed to their injuries but due to the fact that they became trapped within their own minds, seduced by their subconscious conjuring their darkest fantasies and losing their desire to return to the realm of reality. For this very reason only the most accomplished of healers, life mages included where permitted to use this branch of magic, as many had lost themselves to the fantasies of their own minds and never woken.

The process of coming back to my own mind was long and arduous, each sense coming back one at a time thankfully because my trance had not been particularly deep, I only had to work on waking three of my five senses smell, touch and finally sight. I had felt myself coming back to myself for a few hours and as such my sense of smell, the scent of my uncle a mixture of rum and clean, fresh cotton, the smell of Porlyusica an aroma of healing herbs and a forest after rainfall. Then two scents I was unfamiliar with emerged but belonged to a voice I had been hearing in fits and starts the child Wendy, with a scent of clean fresh air with the occasional hint of rain or snow possibly dependent or her mood, always accompanied by her exceed who during the trance I had learned was named Carla and appeared to carry the permanent smell of clean clothes and coconut. The final scent in the room was one I was well acquainted with, Laxus Dreyar bearing the usual the intoxicating scent of storm clouds before the rain falls, and it was comforting and gave me the strength to awaken my sense of touch. As my sense of touch returned I could feel scratchy sheets, and the paper hospital gown I had been put in upon arrival at what I could only assume was the guild infirmary.

Now it became a waiting game vision is always the most difficult sense to awaken one would assume that it was merely a matter of opening one's eyes, ha if only. Vision could make or break a healing trance, if rushed it could result in all senses shutting down forcing someone so deep within their own mind that it could takes years to come back if they ever did. Fortunately lady luck appeared to be on my side as the fantasies had disappeared almost as soon as my sense of smell had, now the world behind my eyelids began to turn gray, which suggested that it would be only minutes before my eyes would be open and then I would hopefully get answers as to what had happened.

Barely two minutes must have passed before my lids fluttered open; only to automatically shut them again due to the brightness of the room slowly my eyes began to adjust I was aware of everyone watching me with baited breath. Finally my eyes completely adjusted, and I carefully began pushing myself upright taking note of everyone's position in the room. Porlyusica had perched herself upon the end of the bed, Uncle Macao sat in a chair to my left under the widow, the young girl who I could only assume to be Wendy, was settled on the bed to my right with who I presumed to be Carla in her lap and finally propped against the wall by the door was the one and only Laxus Dreyar.

"Okay, so anyone want to tell me what I did this time to wind up in a healing trance?"

I asked my voice gruff from lack of use, although I didn't fail to notice the circulating look of alarm the passed around the room affecting all but Porlyusica who went about sorting me a glass of water to help my throat, which I took gratefully proceeding to take small sips to allow my body time to start accepting fluids and later solids.

Before I could question them further the doors flew open revealing an excited Romeo followed by an amused Makarov.

"Ah Niamh good to see you awake, you had us worried for a while there" he greeted as he took up a position opposite Porlyusica who had returned to seat on the right side of the bed.

"Sorry for worrying you all, but that still doesn't answer my question. What happened that caused me to fall into a healing trance?" I spoke my throat now much easier as I reiterated my earlier question.

"You mean to say you truly do not remember anything from your ordeal?" Makarov quipped clear surprise gracing his features as it had the others earlier.

"Not really I recall getting off the train at Kunugi station but after that it's a bit of blur. I can vaguely remember arriving at the village near Hakabe, and a slight recollection of fighting and a symbol, possibly a guild mark but the rest is just flashes" I explain feeling apologetic regarding my lack of memories.

"Porlyusica, are her lack of memories associated with her injuries? Or could something else be responsible?" questioned my uncle from his potion next to my bedside, where he had been joined by Romeo who appeared to share his father's worry.

"It's most likely that your lack of, or fragmented memories are due to the duration of your healing trance, and will most probably return within the next few weeks. However as you know forcing the memories is ill advised as the memories could become disordered and may hinder your overall progress" the old healer explained, addressing myself rather than my uncle a subtle insult by Porlyusica's standards indicating that if a question was made than they shouldn't act as though I wasn't here, it was a sentiment I greatly appreciated.

"Thank you Porlyusica. However I was wondering, how long was I under the healing trance?" I queried the answer possibly influencing the extent of my memory fragmentation.

"Ten days" came her simple reply and I really couldn't expect anything more from the typically callous medic, "if that is all then I shall take my leave, the stink of all you filthy humans is becoming increasingly nauseating" she snidely informed us before taking her leave but not before gaining a chuckle from myself and Makarov.

Once I had significantly calmed I decided to break the silence that had fallen after the healer's exit, "So who wants to fill me in on what occurred during my extended nap" I joked eager to learn all I could during my trance.

"Of course child, I'm sure between all of us we can give you a detailed account of the last ten days" Makarov stated as he glanced about to be answered by nods by the others in the room.

For the next few hours everyone filled me in on what I had missed over the next ten days, informing me that upon my arrival Makarov had quickly contacted the council and the other official guilds throughout Fiore in a search for information. He had upon learning where I had been and considering my state when I arrived assigned two teams one led by Erza to the foothills of Mount Hakabe where I could vaguely recall my assignment being located, and the group had returned relatively quickly. The other team led by Mira were sent to pack up my apartment in Crocus, and although I should have been angry about his actions I wasn't as I was currently not able to effectively defend myself. Firstly due to my fragmented memories I had no idea who I could be up against and therefore wouldn't be adequately prepared if a fight ensured, secondly upon her return Mira had reported a definite break in at my apartment and though she failed to recognise if anything was missing the place had unfortunately been trashed and very little had been salvageable. Fortunately Mira had reported that the small safe hidden behind a false wall within my walk in closet had gone unnoticed, also she had thankfully remembered the codes to unlock it and had quickly removed the few items from within, which included money from previous jobs, completed notebooks filled with spells and herbal remedies passed on by previous life mages and finally an assortment of rare and hard to find ingredients that would fetch a small fortune on the black market.

The group also went on to explain how uncle Macao had drunk himself into a stupor, resulting in a nasty hangover the day after, which earned him as disapproving look from yours truly. Wendy in all her shyness had also explained that while at Mount Hakabe Natsu had found the remnants of my collapsible longbow, quiver and pack all of which would at some point need replacing. However despite being forthcoming with the happenings of the last few days they carefully avoided the subject of what had happened to me, as even the slightest mention of what I couldn't remember could instigate another healing trance, and to have two trances in such a short space of time would be disastrous with very little possibility of me waking ever again.

As the group continued to chatter around me visible relief beginning to set in clearly glad I was awake, but one person was not engaging with the conversation. In fact he hadn't said anything since I had woken; instead Laxus had merely stood in his position by the door watching me the entire time. As I continued to observe him, I registered him coking his head slightly listening to something going on in the main hall though I had no clue as to what it could be Laxus's suddenly business-like expression indicated it was something serious. Minutes later Mira bustled in a look of utter panic marring her lovely features only to be followed seconds later by her equally sombre siblings.

"Master, the – Shikasune village, every … everyone's dead, they've all been poisoned" she exclaimed clearly distraught by the revelation, but after the mention of poison the world around me ceased to exist seemingly causing a cascade effect, within my mind as I was bombarded by a host of images that I couldn't differentiate. Clearly my mind could cope with the sudden flood of information and I felt myself once more falling into black.

* * *

Well Niamh woke but now she's unconscious again, so what will happen next, well that all depends on my readers. If you want to see the next chapter up then you best review.

Thank you

Huntersblessing1990


End file.
